my jacksons chameleon

Question
QUESTION: My jacksons (alex) is only about 5 months old. I have only had him about a month and a half. The past day or two he has been sleeping more that usual. He is eating alright but I a used to him being very active until I go to bed at night. Is there any reason for concern or am I just an overprotective mom?

ANSWER: Hi Debbie, If he  continues to eat, drink and bask and the only thing you have noted is the slight sleepiness then I would not be overly worried at this stage. He could just be entering a shedding period. Many chameleons will also slow down as the days shorten and the temperatures drop slightly. Their period of brumation is not as dramatic as in some species such as bearded dragons but a winter slow-down has been reported regularly by chameleon keepers.

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QUESTION: What does it mean if my Jacksons Chameleon is opening his mouth really wide from time to time and while he is doing this, he is expanding his belly. It is almost as if he is having trouble breathing. I just put substrate in the bottom of his cage and he loves it but sometimes he will get a little bit in his mouth when he is catching a cricket. Is there any problem with this. Again you have to remember I am a worried mom. Thank you so much!

Answer
Hi Debbie, I would strongly advise you to remove the substrate. Loose particle substrate is a real potential problem for chameleons due to their sticky tongue hunting style. It leads to intestinal impaction.  I would recommend something like reptile carpet instead. Keep an eye on his droppings for a while.

It is difficult to say whether those other behaviours indicate a problem or not. I have noticed veiled chameleons doing something similar just prior to shedding. They seem to almost be trying to stretch and break the old, tight skin. Chameleons will also gape and attempt to appear bigger to scare off a potential predator (like your hand!)